Sainsbury Management Fellows

Interview 11: Pablo López Bouzas

Pablo López Bouzas (MEng, UPM
Technical University of Madrid), INSEAD

Prior to starting his MBA at INSEAD, Pablo’s professional experience was primarily in the aviation and transport infrastructure sector. He started his career at Airbus in Spain and subsequently joined Ferrovial Airport’s graduate development programme. He would then spend five years at London Heathrow Airport assuming responsibilities in airfield, baggage and terminal operations. In his last role as Operational Efficiency Manager, Pablo led the development and implementation of efficiency projects and business change activities that streamlined ground operations and improved the departures punctuality of Europe’s busiest airport.

What do you hope to achieve through your
MBA experience?

I hope that the INSEAD MBA will be a key enabler
towards boosting the right set of hard and soft skills at the right time. The
MBA will give me top-tier finance, strategy and management foundations that
will fill my business knowledge gaps, complementing my current background,
while it will also help me to boost and hone my leadership skills. Finally, the
MBA will allow me to build life-long relationships with a professionally and
culturally diverse group of people from which I can learn and grow.

How will you use your MBA to further your
career?

As I gear up to take the next professional steps, I hope that the INSEAD MBA will be the foundation stone that will help me giving a new approach to my career, in which I would be looking to capitalise both my engineering and operations background and my MBA experience to play a relevant role in the current business disruption scenario. INSEAD is an exceptional opportunity to take part in a dynamic cutting-edge forum and to be in contact with a global network of key players from the different industries, giving me access to a wide range of opportunities in readiness to potentially act as a catalyst for development and growth in business and society.

What are your hopes/expectations of being
part of the SMF network after business school?

I recognise the power and
relevance that a group of individuals with a shared set of core values has in
order to make a positive change in the world and, as a future member of the SMF
network, I am hoping to work side by side with other fellows to continue
fostering emerging talent and promoting the economic and social
development. I am honoured to be joining
such a group of talented professionals, ambitioning to generate positive
lasting impact in business and society, and I am eager to start appreciating
the tangible outcomes of our collective work.

How do you hope to support SMF after you
graduate from business school?

Having appreciated myself the
power of mentoring and role models, I am planning to give some of those
learnings back by being an active part of the mentoring scheme for young
engineers. I am enthusiastic about sharing my passion for aviation and acting
as a source of knowledge, support and inspiration that can guide them through
their first professional steps.

When did you start thinking about doing an
MBA?

As I was progressing over my professional career, where
I was more focused on the technical side, I started to realise that I wanted to
get some business management foundations that complemented my profile and would
potentially help me to achieve long-term progress. Also, I had been in contact
with several MBA alumni, and I understood from their experience that pursuing
an MBA was the right step towards having a wider impact and achieving my career
objectives.

What difference has the scholarship made to
you?

The Sainsbury Management Fellowship has played a
crucial role in this MBA journey. Pursuing an MBA requires a significant
financial and time commitment, an investment that must be carefully assessed
and planned for. Getting the SMF scholarship has been a vital help for me,
alleviating the financial burden and allowing me to maximise the full
international, academic and social experience. Receiving the SMF scholarship
will also give me the power to remain focused and aligned on looking for the
right opportunity within my current career plan. Finally, the SMF scholarship
has provided me with access to a wide network of like-minded individuals with a
breadth of different experiences, a key learning asset for my future
professional life.

What tip would you give to someone seeking
financial support to do an MBA?

Seeking financial support for an MBA can be a long
and sometimes frustrating journey, although it is definitively worth the
effort. Put aside some time well in advance to do research so as to contemplate
all the different options and talk to current MBA students and alumni from the
schools you are targeting. Most of the times the different scholarship schemes
are looking for specific profiles so identify those who align best with your
background and motivations, as this is where you will be able to show your full
potential. Last, never give up, overall there are no shortcuts to any place
worth going!